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by SaraZita on February 20th, 2007

SaraZita

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Where did the term "Egging him/her on" come from?

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  • by Drublic on February 20th, 2007

    Drublic

    This term meaning to encourage or incite has nothing to do with throwing eggs. The verb egg dates to 1200 and is from the Old Norse eggja. From the Trinity College Homilies, c.1200:

    Alse the deuel him to eggede.

    The phrase to egg on is 16th century. From Thomas Drant’s 1567 Horace His Arte of Poetrie, Pistles and Satyrs Englished:

    Db, Ile egge them on to speake some thyng, whiche spoken may repent them.

    http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/egg_on/

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